The present invention relates to impact blade-type tools, particularly spring loaded impact tools including a blade and a handle having substantial mass used as the impacter. The disclosed embodiment is a carpet tucking tool.
In the installation of carpet the carpet must be stretched or tucked over a tack strip adjacent a wall or in a door-way and into tight corners, as found in stairs. This operation is commonly referred to as "carpet tucking" and the tool generally used by commercial installers is referred to as a "stair tool". A stair tool includes a blunt masonry-type chisel and an integral shank portion terminating in a flattened enlarged end which is impacted by a hammer. The stair tool is formed of a tough durable alloy steel to withstand hammering and the blade is ground to a taper to avoid cutting the carpet. Although the tucking chisel or stair tool may be used without a hammer, the tool is generally used by placing the tapered edge of the chisel portion against the carpet to grip the carpet and impacting the free end with a hammer, requiring the use of two hands. The stair tool may also be used in combination with a "knee kicker", which includes a pad at one end and a nap gripper at its opposite end. The nap gripper includes a plurality of angularly extending steel pins which grip the carpet. Thus, particularly in large installations, the commercial installer may be required to operate the knee kicker with one knee and both hands are occupied with the tucking tool.
Carpet or linoleum knives are also used by commercial installers to "tuck" a carpet over the tack strip. A linoleum or carpet knife includes a handle and a flat arcuate blade. The inside edge of the blade is sharpened to the point for cutting and the outside edge may be flat or tapered for tucking. Generally, a linoleum knife is used by a carpet installer to tuck carpet with one hand only, but this method can be hazardous, painful and limiting because, although the other hand is free, it is very tiring and may result in injury to the hand.
Where the stair tool or carpet knife is used in combination with a hammer, the tool or hammer may slip and result in injury to the installer, particularly the installer's hands, or the tool may slip and damage the baseboard. Further, the present methods are time consuming and tiring to the installer. Finally, the repeated impact on a handle of a carpet knife or the impact end of a stair tool may result in damage to the tool, wherein the tool may chip or crack, further exposing the installer to potential injury.
As will now be understood, there is a need for a carpet tucking tool which avoids the disadvantages and dangers of the present tools, preferably a tool which may be used with one hand and which reduces or eliminates the danger of injury to the installer. Further, the tucking tool should require less energy, yet be faster in operation while reducing the likelihood of damage to baseboards. The embodiments of the carpet tucking tools of this invention achieve these advantages and the impact blade tool of this invention may also be used for other applications.